"Crown" stoplight

Imola 1994 – a dark hour, but also a turning point

Images, scenes and decisions that are unimaginable today. For decades, Formula 1 resembled a game of Russian roulette. Serious accidents, no retirements. Even in the worst storms, the risky show was whipped through. A life at the limit.

Austria mourned several times
A total of 79 drivers in the premier class died on the racetrack, 34 of them in a Formula 1 car. Austria mourned several times:

• On September 5, 1970, Jochen Rindt had an accident in practice at Monza. The front right brake shaft broke on his Lotus 72.

• On October 6, 1974, Helmut Koinigg lost his life at Watkins Glen.

• On June 1, 1986, Jo Gartner crashed into the guard rail at over 300 km/h at Le Mans - the Viennese driver died on impact.

• On April 30, 1994, Roland Ratzenberger's Simtek crashed into the barrier wall at Imola at top speed. The following day, the Brazilian Ayrton Senna crashed in the fast Tamburello corner.

In the meantime, the monocoques are survival cells
Imola 1994 is one of the darkest chapters in Formula 1 history, but the horror weekend was a turning point, at least in terms of safety. Rules were changed, cars were slowed down, tens of millions of dollars were invested in research for optimum safety. The monocoques are now survival cells that resemble bulletproof vests.

The romance, the nonchalance and the charismatic, wild daredevils may have diminished in Formula 1, but the touch of death has also faded.